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Leadership BlueprintsLeadership Blueprints is a podcast dedicated to helping leaders align teams, navigate chaos, and accomplish the mission. Author: BJ Kraemer, MCFA
Leadership Blueprints is a podcast dedicated to helping leaders align teams, navigate chaos, and accomplish the mission. Hosted by BJ KraemerWest Point graduate, combat veteran, and President & CEO of MCFAthis show dives into the principles, stories, and strategies behind effective leadership. With a background in military service and experience leading teams in business, infrastructure, and complex projects, BJ understands that success comes down to execution, adaptability, and leading people well. Through in-depth interviews with accomplished leaders across business, sports, the military, and beyond, Leadership Blueprints will help you bring your vision to reality on projects that shape communities and industries. Whether youre leading in the boardroom, on the field, in the military, or within your own organization, this podcast is designed to provide the tools and mindset needed to lead with clarity, resilience, and purpose. Subscribe now and start building your Leadership Blueprint. Language: en Genres: Business, Careers, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Leadership Lessons from Billion-Dollar Infrastructure Projects
Episode 253
Wednesday, 22 April, 2026
The difference between a stalled project and a successful ribbon-cutting ceremony lies in the project champion, a leader who possesses the courage, fortitude, and strategic mindset to navigate complex bureaucracies and transform ambitious plans into multigenerational realities.Today on the podcast, BJ is joined by MCFA’s Brian Pieplow and Michael Fuhrman to talk about the necessity of cultivating a project champion to manage upcoming billion-dollar infrastructure programs. They unpack the three As, characteristics all project champions have, and highlight the importance of third-party consultants who provide the objective perspective needed. They also introduce the DNA framework, a strategic tool to help leaders assess project viability and overcome institutional inertia. Tune in now to learn why leadership-driven approaches are critical to infrastructure projects to deliver long-term value to the public. Key Points From This Episode:Understanding the importance of a champion in moving projects forward.They dig into the three As of a project champion.How external partners bridge organizational gaps and enable effective execution of vision.Brian takes us through the DNA process: discover, navigate, accelerate.The importance of the project charter.Quotes:“Sometimes a third party within your organization can color outside the line and kind of protect and buffer the internal champion.” — Michael Fuhrman “Discover, navigate, [and] accelerate is not necessarily a linear process, but it's iterative.” — Brian Pieplow “Multigenerational projects are not easy and not for the faint of heart.” — Michael Fuhrman “I think one takeaway — is the importance of the project charter, setting the tone and using DNA to help develop a strong project charter — every major project, mega project has a charter…” — Brian Pieplow Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Brian Pieplow on LinkedInMichael Fuhrman, MCFAMake No Little Plans: A Planning as Project Development Approach to Building Infrastructure DNA Workshop WorkbookStudy (managing risk)Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding The Three Fears That Sabotage Client LoyaltyJETCAmerican Planning Association ConferenceLeadership Blueprints PodcastLeadership Blueprints Podcast on YouTubeMCFAMCFA CareersBJ Kraemer on LinkedIn
